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    How to Succeed as a Rendezvu Host

    By Leo Cocchiara · 6 min read

    After 15 years of slinging gear, I’ve learned that sales are rarely about a product.

    They are about a person and a problem. And what you’re really selling? Trust.

    Your audience needs to trust you to solve their problem.

    Rendezvu is your tool to access products, showcase expertise, solve their problem, and make the sale.

    Whether you’re working 1-on-1 with clients through text, calls, & emails, or speaking to a larger audience through social media, blogs, or other platforms, the fundamentals are the same: understand the problem, curate the solution, explain your thinking, make buying easy, follow through, and grow your network.

    Relationship selling in action: - MY LISTS

    Meet Lori. After booking her first family ski vacation with me, she reached out because she was overwhelmed about finding the right snow gear for the trip.

    What started as an ask for help, turned into a conversation about baselayers, goggles, jackets, pants and everything in between.

    I wasn’t just sending her products that I use for myself, I was helping her figure out what she needed, why I recommended certain options, what to skip, and how to make the right purchase.

    Here’s how I turned my expertise into useful recommendations and ultimately, results.

    1. ASK - Understand the need
    2. CURATE - Build the essential list
    3. EDUCATE - Explain the why
    4. REFINE - Adjust based on feedback
    5. REMOVE FRICTION - Solve buying obstacles
    6. TEACH - Reiterate how to purchase through your link
    7. FOLLOW UP - Ensure customer success
    8. REFER - Grow your reach

    1. ASK — Start with the actual need, not a product.

    When Lori mentioned that her family needed snow apparel, I didn’t immediately send a list of products. I established what they actually needed: jackets, pants, baselayers, socks, gloves and goggles. I learned who needed what sizes, colors, and preferences, including budget.

    Action: Before building a list, discover:

    • What do they already own?
    • What do they actually need?
    • Size/Height/Fit preferences
    • Warmth/Style/Color preferences
    • Experience level/Intended use

    2. CURATE — Build an intentional list.

    Instead of overwhelming them with options, I created an intentional, concise list covering the essentials. The goal was to make shopping easier, not showcase every option available.

    When products sold out or sizes disappeared, I rebuilt the list with products that were available and offered different sources for colors, sizes, and sales.

    Action: Keep lists short, relevant and purchasable. Inventory matters. A perfect recommendation that is unavailable isn’t a useful recommendation.

    3. EDUCATE — Explain the “why.”

    The most valuable part of my recommendations wasn’t the link, it was the explanation.

    Why I preferred merino baselayers over synthetic options: odor resistance, moisture management, temperature regulation and durability.

    When discussing ski jackets, I explained the difference between insulated jackets and shells, as well as what the $500 jacket offered in experience, that the $200 didn’t.

    Action: For every recommendation, answer: “Why this instead of the other options?” Explain the tradeoffs in user benefits versus dumping technical specifications.

    4. REFINE — Use the conversation to make the list better.

    Lori would send me products she was considering, questions about colors, sizing or alternatives. I used that information to continually refine the recommendations.

    This is where the gear list becomes a personal shopping service rather than a product catalog.

    I also wasn’t afraid to tell her when she didn’t need something. When she found snow pants she already owned, I told her to use them. When she showed me an existing pair of goggles, I told her they were perfectly adequate. That builds credibility and trust - the ultimate product.

    Action: Solicit feedback, refine recommendations, validate choices, be honest.

    5. REMOVE FRICTION — Make buying easy.

    Once we had the right product, I helped with the details: sizing, color, inventory, retailer availability, and sale timing.

    I validated her decisions, removed any guess work, and encouraged her to make the purchase.

    Action: Remove friction, ask for the sale.

    Make sure the customer understands how to use the links. This is critical!

    I don’t assume they know how it works, I clearly explain it.

    The key is that they start their shopping through your Rendezvu product link.

    I tell the customer:

    “When you’re ready to buy, click the product link in my Rendezvu list and complete your purchase after entering the retailer through that link. That allows Rendezvu to track the referral and gives me credit for the sale.”

    I also ask customers to send me their order confirmation after purchasing. This lets me verify the purchase was made and to make sure they got everything they needed.

    Action: Don’t assume the customer knows how attribution works. Explain it.

    • Send the list to the customer.
    • Tell them explicitly to click your Rendezvu link before purchasing.
    • Have them complete the purchase after following that link.
    • Ask them to send the order confirmation so you can verify attribution.

    If they independently open the retailer’s website, search for the product and purchase there, you may not receive credit for the sale. Don’t make the customer feel like they’re doing you a favor.

    It’s part of the service - You did the research, curated the gear and helped them make the decision. Make sure they know how to complete the purchase and give you credit for your work.

    7. FOLLOW UP — The Sale Isn’t Over at Checkout.

    If you haven’t seen the sale come through, follow up. Ask what happened. Maybe the product went out of stock. Maybe they had trouble with the link. Maybe they changed their mind. Maybe they found something else.

    Action: Be proactive. Problem solve.

    And if they did buy, great! Follow up anyway.

    Ask:

    • Did everything arrive smoothly?
    • Does it fit?
    • Do you like it?
    • Do you have any questions?
    • Is there anything else you need to make this work?

    The sale isn’t over when the customer clicks “Buy.” A sale is only good if the problem is actually solved.

    If they return the product because it didn’t fit, wasn’t warm enough, wasn’t the right style or didn’t solve their problem, then the customer still isn’t taken care of.

    Worse, they may lose trust in your expertise.

    That mindset changes the entire relationship. You’re no longer trying to generate transactions. You’re taking responsibility for the outcome.

    Action: Ensure customer success with their purchase.

    8. ASK FOR REFERRALS — Turn Happy Customers Into Your Growth Engine.

    You have a happy client. You helped them find the right gear. They trust your expertise. They had a good experience. Ask for the referral. This is how you build a business.

    Ask them directly:

    “Who do you know that could use this kind of help?”

    Or:

    “Referrals are always appreciated, If you have friends or family who are getting into skiing, send them my way. Here’s how they can reach me.”

    You’ve genuinely created value. You’re not asking them to do you a favor, you’re giving them a way to connect someone they know with a service they already trust.

    Referral sales are easier to start, easier to convert and often easier to build into a long-term relationship.

    Action: Make referrals part of your follow-through process.

    The most successful Rendezvu experts aren’t the ones who recommend the most products—they’re the ones who use their expertise to solve real problems, earn trust, and take responsibility for the customer’s experience.